Best Things To Do in Zakopane in Winter (+ Tatra Mountains Winter Hiking)

What are the best things to do in Zakopane in winter, how to find Narnia in Poland and why Tatra mountains hiking in winter is the best?

The Tatra Mountains and Zakopane in winter

Poland has several mountain ranges. There are Bieszczady, Sudety, Beskidy, and many others. One of the most famous ones are the Tatra mountains. They are a part of the Carpathians and the highest mountain range in Poland. Zakopane is the closest biggest town, from where you can access the peaks. Even though I’ve been the to the Himalayas, those Polish mountains are still my favourites (but maybe I’m biased, since I’m Polish 😉).

Even though I’ve been to Zakopane in winter multiple times and I prefer Tatra mountains in winter, this time we were in Poland only for 10 days, with a very tight schedule. I tried in all the possible ways, to fit at least a couple of days in the mountains in between a meeting with friends and the second piece of cake at my auntie’s. With 10 days in Poland, you can still squeeze in quite a lot!

It was Alex’s first trip to my home country, so I wanted to show him the best parts of it. Mountains, sounds of snow squeaking under every step, hot mead and oscypki (traditional mountain smoked cheese) – what else do you need?

The best things to do in Zakopane in winter

#1 Try Tatra Mountains hiking in winter (if you have experience)

Where to go in difficult winter conditions?

The Tatra Mountains in winter are so pretty and without many tourists (what changes a lot in the summer). The good part about the mountains is that they are very close to Zakopane town and they are visible from the centre. There are many different hikes and walks to choose from, depending on your level of winter experience.

When we arrived in Zakopane, the winter was in a full blow. It was still -17 degrees during the day, avalanche risk just came down from grade 3 to 2. We didn’t have much winter hiking equipment with us and Alex has never been in the higher mountains in winter before.

Murowaniec hike or cable car to Kasprowy Wierch

We chose a relatively easy walk to Hala Gasienicowa, to Murowaniec mountain hut. Then maybe hike to Kasprowy Wierch mountain (you can also take a cable car to get to the top), if the conditions are good.

The path was leading us through the fairytale landscape. The snowy empty forest, where you couldn’t hear anything apart from the snow squeaking under our shoes, and everything was covered in the cosy winter fluff.

The better choice is a blue trail through Boczan (more info at the bottom of the article), in case there was avalanche problem in the valley. After a short time, we saw the view opening into the Jaworzynka valley and the city covered in clouds.

My favourite part on that trail is where you walk through the pass into the flatter area and can see the massive mountains of High Tatras towering just in front of you. This time they were initially in the clouds, but closer to the hut, the clouds went away and the valley was flooded with the sunlight.

Black Lake – Czarny Staw

In the Murowaniec hut, you can have your own lunch, or you can buy something (it’s usually quite pricey – it’s in the middle of the mountains!). We had instant soup and sandwiches with Polish pate (it’s a tradition to eat bread with pate and tinned meat in the mountains ).

Daylight is much shorter in winter and we were running out of time. The Kasprowy was in the clouds and the people who we met on their way down suggested that we probably need crampons if we want to go there.

Instead, we went to the Black Lake nearby in order to have a look at the frozen water and the mountains towering above it (more practical info at the bottom of the article).

#2 Eat traditional Polish food and drink in Zakopane

Zakopane in winter is the place to be for all the cosy comfort food and drinks. The best medicine for winter cold in the mountains is obviously a hot mead – it’s an alcoholic beverage made from honey and spices, quite strong and delicious. The famous part of town is called Krupowki and you will find there a lot of restaurants. Prices in that area are not low, but the area is nice and has many traditional restaurants.

Hot mead

Pork knuckle, singing and homemade vodka

We went into the “Stodola” restaurant. There was a huge fireplace with a table next to it, that we immediately took. Wooden interior and traditional design. We ordered Polish beer “Okocim” and local dish – beer marinated pork knuckle with roasted potatoes and salads. It was very good! I can highly recommend “Stodola” restaurant (no, they don’t pay me for advertising, although I wouldn’t mind some pork knuckles sent to me from time to time haha).

Later on, there was also live traditional music with a local band. After Lukas has joined us, we went to another place, where we were greeted by very very strong homemade vodka “przekurnwica”, also called in Polish “bimber”. I had a headache even two days later, so better watch out!

#3 Take an easy walk in “Narnia” – Strazyska Valley and explore a frozen waterfall

The next day in the morning we decided to go for a small stroll in the morning before leaving the city – we decided to visit Strazyska Valley, which is very close to the Basecamp 2 hostel.

Strazyska Valley goes until it reaches the glade, where you have an amazing view of Giewont – one of the most famous mountains. Few steps further, there is a big waterfall Siklawica – normally producing big noise of falling water, but this time it was entirely frozen and looked magical. The walk is very easy and it can be done with any experience.

Alex concluded, that the views are like from Narnia, and we felt again like in a fairytale. Snow hats were sitting on the rocks, trees bending under the cold weights, twigs looking like chubby barrels dressed in the white snowy fluff – so pretty.

View to the Giewont peak.Siklawica frozen waterfall

Halo? Halo!

On the way, we encountered one more interesting sight – halo – a rainbow around the sun. It is an optical phenomena produced by light interacting with ice crystals captured in the clouds. I’ve never seen it before, so it was a new experience for me.

#5 Try cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is starting to be more and more popular in Poland. In Zakopane, you can find several places where you can try the cross-country skiing. They include Centralny Ośrodek Sportowy (main sports centre), Równia Krupowa (near Krupowki), Biały Potok, Siwa Polana, Kościelisko.

#6 Go on a horse sleigh ride “Kulig” or try dog sledding

Traditional Polish winter activity involving a horse-drawn sleigh ride and called “Kulig” has been popular in Poland for centuries. It dates back to the times of nobelty “szlachta”. More and more popular is also the dog sledding, that originates from Scandinavia. I haven’t tried it in Poland, but I did the dog sledding in Norwayand it was really good.

Horse sleigh ride (kulig)

#7 Relax in the Thermal Pools

Did you know that there are thermal pools using the natural thermal water in the close proximity to the Tatra Mountains? Only 25 km from Zakopane, you can relax in the Thermal Pools in Terma Bialka. The Thermal Baths are located just next to the big ski resort Kotelnica Białczańska. You can even do a private tour from Krakow there, that includes Zakopane, Tatras and the relax in the Spa.

Useful information about Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains

Where to stay in Zakopane?

Zakopane has a lot of nice places to stay. My favourite ones are the traditional huts in the mountains – called “schronisko”, where you normally need to hike to get to. That’s the best base for the various treks.

However, it is also possible to stay closer to town and still manage to go to the mountains. I really like the wooden and traditional houses, where you can smell the passing time, hear the silence and have an amazing view to the mountains.

Budget hostels in Zakopane:

Basecamp 2 – it’s wooden mountain style house with 5 rooms inside, located by the entrance to the Strazyska Valley. We got a big double bedroom on the ground floor, with massive balcony and the view of Giewont (one of the most significant mountains in the area). Prices start already from around 31zl (£6).

Tatra Mountains winter hiking tips:

If you don’t have experience in winter hiking with appropriate equipment, better don’t go to the more difficult trails, especially the ones with deep snow, any avalanche risk or ice.

Remember, that the weather in the mountains can change in the matter of minutes and sunny day can turn in a snowy blizzard. Fresh, not tied snow can be more prone to avalanche risk and make finding the trail much harder.

In winter, the days are shorter, in the forest, the dusk comes much earlier – remember about it when planning your trips and always take a headtorch with you.

In Poland every trail has a specific colour, that is marked on trees and wooden arrows through the whole way – ay attention to it, as it will help you to find the correct path.

Estimated time for specific trails in winter is usually longer than the same places in summer, because of snow and ice. Keep it in mind!

Always have a map and preferably also a compass with you.

Always take enough water and food with you, don’t forget about appropriate clothing! Good hiking shoes with hard soles is a must, breathable, water and wind proof jacket, hat, scarf and gloves. A good idea is also to take sunglasses – sun reflection in the snow can be very harmful to your eyes. Wind and cold will make you feel cold very quickly, so it will be good to have some warm tea with you as well.

Remember and have written down the emergency numbers: 112 or 985 or 600-100-300 or for mountain rescue. Have your phone fully charged.

The Tatra Mountains winter hiking trails

To get to Murowaniec mountains hut, you need to get to Kuznice first. It’s just a short bus ride from the main bus station in Zakopane and it costs 3 zloty. From there you can take a blue trail through Boczan or yellow one through the Jaworzynka Valley. Both of them take around 1,5-2 h. They are fairly easy, but there are some steeper parts, so be aware.

Blue trail to the Black Lake from the Gasienicowa Hall takes around 30 minutes one way. However, in the deep snow and icy path, it might take longer and be more difficult, so make sure to check it before.

If you want to stay in the mountain hut Murowaniec for the night, it’s the best to book it in advance. It’s one of the few mountains huts that don’t allow people to sleep on the floor either. Prices start from 30-40 zl per person.

The path in Strazyska Valley is quite flat, so it’s accessible to more people, even with no previous experience in the mountains. From the entrance to the National Park until the end of the valley it’s around 30-40 min walk. From there, after 5 more minutes, you can reach Siklawica waterfall. It’s worth to remember, that to get into the National Park you need to pay for entrance, which is 5 zl (£1).

Is it worth to visit Zakopane and Tatra Mountains in winter?

Definitely yes! It was a great trip! Beautiful views, unspoiled snow, and most of it exclusively for us. That’s why I prefer Tatras in winter. They are majestic, breathtakingly beautiful, a bit more adventurous, requiring more effort and preparations – but they are empty! Because crowds in the mountains are the last thing, that I want to experience myself.

Go and visit that beautiful place, but first of all – be safe!

Would you like to go to Polish highest mountains in winter? Have you ever been to Tatras? Have you tried hiking in snow? Share your thoughts in the comments!

10 thoughts on “Best Things To Do in Zakopane in Winter (+ Tatra Mountains Winter Hiking)”

What an awesome snowy trail! It looks magical. The pine trees and the ice are also interesting to see. I do not always go on hikes or even stay outside, regardless of the season. I prefer staying at home, reading books or watching Asian movies. Ha! But this is a nice activity to do during winter. Thank you for your tips!

Aga, Beautiful photos first of all! I’m driving from Slovakia past Zakopane and all the way to Katowice. I’m wondering about the roads at this time of year?? Any danger with ice and snow on the roads, or are they well kept?

Thanks, Colm! I’m not sure which side of Slovakia you are coming from, but the road from Zakopane towards Krakow and then Katowice is usually well kept, as it is the main road connecting those cities. It is also not very cold now in Poland, so depends when you are going. However, in winter, especially in the mountainous region the conditions might be worse, so the winter driving experience and good tyres are needed. Here you can find some more information about the current state of the roads (in Polish though). Enjoy your trip!